


Skate

by VesperCat



Series: Adam Lambert Fics [31]
Category: Adam Lambert (Musician)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, figure skating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-09 12:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13481604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VesperCat/pseuds/VesperCat
Summary: Skate: an ice skate or roller skate."Urg, don't look at me. I'm all sweaty and gross,"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> JD = John Doe = whoever you want.
> 
> I watched ユーリ!!! on ICE ( Yuri!!! on Ice ) and I was inspired to write this fic.

After wobbling to the side of the rink, Adam stops to watch JD practice his foot work whilst skating backwards. As quietly as possible and trying not to fall Adam gets on the ice with a deeply focused JD.

Adam leans against the inside of the rink's barrier after hearing a grinding sound. JD jabs his toe pick into the ice, swings his other leg and takes off. Spinning three times and landing with a fwww - cluck, arms spread out and leg extended backwards.

"Urg, don't look at me. I'm all sweaty and gross,"

"You clearly haven't met me right after a show," says Adam, going in for a hug and quick kiss. Moving slightly away, Adam shifts his weight causing him to slip backwards, arms flailing about to get a grip. JD does his best to cling onto Adam's jacket and cradle his head in his gloved hand, away from the hard, cold ice.

"Are you okay?" JD rushes out, eyes wide with panic.

"Yeah," winces Adam, "Probably going to have some bruises tomorrow though,"

Slowly and gently letting Adam's head down, moves to get off of Adam and to lay next to him on the ice. After taking his glove off, JD laces his hand with Adam's.

JD turns his head to the side, observing Adam for a few moments, "Want to see a quad?"

"Sure," replies Adam, head turning and a small smile forming on his lips.

After getting Adam up and off to the side of the ice, JD skates around the rink warming up to the jump. Twisting to skate backwards JD gets ready for the jump. Lifting his right foot up and tilting his left foot on the outwards edge, strikes the ice with his right foot, pulls his arms to his body and gets airborne. Spins fours times but slips off the outwards edge of his right foot causing him to fall and skid on the ice.

JD didn't land the jump but gets up to try the jump again and again even changing the Lutz into a Salchow and the Salchow into a Toe Loop.

Missing the landing again, JD falls to the side, arm bracing and scraping on the cold uneven surface. Attempting to get upright but gives up and just leans on his forearms, chest heaving up and down, out of breadth.

"JD?" cautions Adam, making his way to the defeated man.

JD doesn't even look to his steady, just giving Adam the silent treatment for a few moments.

"You can only fall so many times before you just... can't take it more," JD cries out.

"Hey, JD," says Adam softly, "you seem to have been skating in anger and frustration,"

From the overhead speakers Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face' interrupts Adam, signalling the end to JD's ice time. Getting up, JD skates off the ice, wiping his tears away as best as he can and leaving Adam behind.

"Where's Carol?" asks Adam once caught up and noticing that JD's coach is missing.

"She went with the juniors to a skate camp,"

"In other words she left you to your own mercy," murmurs Adam unimpressed, whilst they're changing their shoes.

JD gets up, grabs his things and leaves Adam behind again.

"Hey! Where's the gold medallist I know?" shouts Adam in concern and wanting to lift his partner's spirits. JD stops mid step, head turning sideways.

"Where's the drive? I know you can't land every single jump you do but you get and try again. Carol should be here helping you, not me. Yes, this is just practice but it's so much more than that. It's where you find your faults and improve. You don't just win medals by pitching up at an event, you work your ass off behind the scenes,"

"We'll talk tomorrow," JD retorts and walks on, wanting to be alone.


	2. Chapter 2

Brooding, JD stands by the side of the rink and watches Adam shakily stand on his skates. The sight is almost comical, Adam's dark hair is damp from sweat and his eyes are focused on his feet and the ice beneath it. Damn, that scowl on his face. JD rubs an index finger on his lower lip to hide the small smile, moodiness dissipating. The great pop star, Adam Lambert, known for his confidence and sass on stage looks like a baby gazelle. 

JD effortlessly takes off and glides closer to Adam. 

"Don't be afraid of falling," JD says softly.

Rolling his eyes Adam is haunted by his own words tossed back at him. JD stares intensely, hoping that Adam will heed his advice. 

"Trust me, the irony is not lost to me," JD huffs, "but you have to believe in yourself. Be bold. Trust yourself. Stand upright but keep your knees bent more,"

"It's easy for you to say!" snaps Adam, feeling judged for his poor skating skills. "You've been doing this your whole life!"

"Yeah? You've been singing all your life but I didn't bitch about that when we went to Karaoke night with your friends!"

Adam throws his hands in the air, frustrated with trivial fighting and silent treatments, "Is this what this is about? Payback?" 

JD sighs, huffing out a cloud of vapour, "No. I knew I that I would suck but I owned that damn stage because I believed in myself...," he pauses. "And you believed in me,"

The ice melts around Adam's defenses. His eyes burn with renewed resolve as he runs a hand through his damp hair and stands more upright.

"You two definitely should do pairs!" suggests Carol brightly as she makes her way to the rink's side. "That was like watching an opera!"

JD beams at Adam, bickering forgotten, "Just short of killer outfits, glass shattering voices, over the top wigs and subtitles,"

Adam throws himself backwards with laughter, falling on his ass, "Oh JD, you don't need all that to prove that you're a drama Queen."

"Well it works for the competitions, isn't that right my little gold medal winner," interjects Carol.

"Yeah," JD responds, arm going up behind his head to scratch his hair nervously.

"Now, how are those quads coming a long?" questions Carol in her still heavily accented voice, all trace of joy gone.

"Um," JD answers anxiously, never used to split personality-like actions of his coach and helps Adam upright.

"He's getting there and did a lot of practice yesterday," states Adam, getting into a defensive mood.

"Okay, show me how far your free skate program is coming along,"

"About that. Could we move some of the jumps more towards the beginning to prevent backloading?" asks JD cautiously, Adam's presence giving him more confidence.

Carol counters with, "Do it but your points won't be as high,"

"Skating is more than just medals or breaking records to me. Sure it feels good to win but it's that feeling of being free and myself on the ice," JD states, standing his ground.

"From the beginning no changes," instructors Carol, pressing play on the portable radio, making Igor Stravinsky's The Firebird flood the rink. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to the friend for the co-write!


	3. Chapter 3

While removing his stage make-up, Adam's cellphone vibrates and brightens with an incoming notification. Glancing down at the glaring screen, Adam becomes excited as he taps on the notification, not even bothering to read the title and impatiently waits for the video to load.

The video opens with the crowd cheering and JD skating out to the centre, readying himself for his Free Skate.

"The last skater of the day is JD and he is one of the oldest skater here," a male commentator informs.

"Yes, being 35 and still skating competitively is rare," a female commentator adds, "career only rivaled by Evgeni Plushenko,"

"Definitely. Did you notice that he has changed his outfit? It seems to be one from earlier in his career, if I'm not mistaken," the male commentator points out. 

The outfit in question is a deep red that ombres into black at a diagonal from to the opposite hip. Shimmering red feather-like embroidery decorates across the arms and shoulders.

Hearing the first few seconds of 'Paint It, Black' by The Rolling Stones, Adam remembers that JD said something about 'changing things up' in their last phone call.

The commentators are stunned into silence. Not only by JD's change of music but also his quad Axle jump followed by a triple Toe Loop, forming a combination early in his program and right on time with the splash cymbals' crash. 

Adam tries to remember the differences between the two jumps. The Axel taking off from the front with a forward outside edge and landing with the opposite foot's back outside edge. The Toe Loop uses the toe pick on one foot and then lands on the opposite foot.

Going into a step sequence in a flurry of foot work and twisting his body around with 'I see people turn their heads and quickly looked away' blasting over the stadium's speakers.

"He... He's mouthing the lyrics," the male commentator is genuinely surprised.

Lifting one leg to his calf, parallel to the rink and bringing his arms to his chest JD goes into a Scratch spin and follows into a hop punctuating the 'black' in 'I see my red door; I must have it painted black.'

The female commentator finally responds with, "He could very well be,"

'If I look hard enough into the setting sun' produces a quad Loop. The Loop uses the outside edge to jump from one foot and lands on the same outside edge foot.

The rest of the skate program goes by in a blurr with jumps showing the strength and control of JD and commentators blocked out by Adam.

Going out of the Sit Spin into a finale gilde and stop just as the sitar and humming fades.

The commentator's, "He looks very happy with that performance," brings Adam out of his pseudo-hypnosis by JD's performance.

The video cuts between reviews of his program and him awaiting alone in the 'Kiss and Cry' booth for his score.

The female commentator observes that, "And probably for the first time JD is sitting alone,"

"And the scores are in," the male commentator interrupts, "and this puts him in second place."

JD nods his head in approval, looking satisfied with himself. Waving at the camera and then gathering his belongings.

The same video cuts to a press conference where JD announces; "I will be retiring as of today, thank you all for your support through the years," 

The cameras flash in earnest, temporally blinding JD.

"Why!" shouts someone behind the camera flashes.

"I have personal obligations and a few persistent injuries," responds JD. Adam pauses the video, realising that silent tears are falling down his cheeks. Wiping the tears with the back of his hand, closing the video application and dialling JD.

When the call connects Adam rushes to ask JD, "Why? Why did you quit?"

"Slow down," JD answers sleepily.

"Sorry, I forgot the time zone-"

"No, no, no. No. I was out and about late,"

"I kind of wish that I was there with you," ruefully replies Adam.

"But you're doing you with one of _the_ greatest bands,"

"And Carol?"

"Yeah, we had a bit of a disagreement after the short program and she packed her bags," JD says thinking back to the argument that ensued as he got off the ice due to him changing some triple jumps to quad jumps.

"Oh, are you going back to LA or staying longer?"

"I'm going to stay in Milan until tonight and then... then going to you. Wait you weren't supposed to know that," JD groans out realising that his 'surprise' slipped.

Hearing Adam chuckle over the phone and then answering with, "Know what?", JD wishes there will be no delays with his flight later in his evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JD's Free Skate/Long program is based on [Deniss Vasiļjevs' Free Skate/Long Program](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Oyy-8NGGZA0) .


End file.
